I just replaced my timing belt, tensioner, pulleys, water pump, t-stat, etc. But I smelt a strong fuel odour from the passenger's side engine bay beforehand. And when I replaced the the upper idler pulley I could see all the fibreglass stuffing they pulled from the hood liner. So, regardless, I replaced the timing belt (and everything else) and and the smell is still there (unrelated to the timing belt, I know, but one thing at a time) so now I pulled apart the upper intake to see if what damage (if any) the mouse/mice did.

Nothing obvious. Rats.

It hard to tell because the smell's there only when the engine's running, meaning the fuel system under pressure and the engine using fuel.

 

Did they chew a small hole/weak spot into a fuel line? Leaky fuel filter? Rusted out hard fuel line? Just thinking out loud here.....

 

Nothing obvious yet. I have pics but they're too large to upload for now. I saw what looks like sweating on some of the banjo fittings but so far nothing jumps out. I thought it was the cold-start injector line but it looks okay. Tomorrow I'll crank it with the coil wire off to see if anything leaks. With the 3VZ-E, the upper plenum has to come off to check everything. Working on this engine is a right-of-passage, a character-builder. You fix it for honour, not glory.

 

Jump the fuel pump to get it pumping with the engine off. Let it run for 5-10 minutes. If you have a pinhole in your fuel line, that should be long enough for it to start to drip off the truck/on the ground where you can see it.

 

Pics please

 

I've already spent $700+ in timing belt/front engine parts so I'm determined to find where this raw fuel smell is coming from.

 

Here's where the mouse/mice were living. I've already removed most the fibreglass insulation. Small attatched pics but it's the best I can do for this moment (better than nothing).

 

Truckmike26: TNRabbit wrote in another thread: The MOST common fuel leak on the 3vze is at the fuel pressure damper. It's located under the plenum near the firewall on the passenger side. If you pull the hood, you can just see it. (pulling the hood is GREAT for working on this engine as it gives more light & access & is 4 bolts--quick! I can do it by myself in 5 mins).

May be another place to look...

 

Yeah! There IS what looks like some sweating on the damper. Yesterday rained, so I couldn't check it and today I'm busy. It was the first thing I suspected because everything else is bone-dry/doesn't smell at all like fuel.

 

turn key on open hood with engine off. remove air cleaner. stick finger in vafm and open door=fuel pump runs with motor off. check for leaks

 

A Fuel leak is very bad, so check carefully (I'd concentrate on the return lines; much easier for a mouse to chew through.)

But a more common cause of a fuel smell on the passenger side is the Vapor canister. More commonly when the engine is first shut off, so it doesn't quite match your case. The line that pumps out the vapor goes through a Thermal Vacuum Valve at the aft end of the lower intake manifold; it is common that one of the plastic hose bibbs gets broken off (the plastic doesn't like the heat). If that happened, the canister is just overwhelmed with the vapor from the tank and leaks it into the air giving the fuel smell.

 

blake.nemitz

awsome tip

 

So opening the air flow meter wide open will command the pump into pumping? Despite the TPS and engine ground from the upper intake being disconnected? Interesting. I'll try that.

 

My raw fuel smell is most prevalent when the engine's running from a cold start to operating temperature. And goes away after a hour or so the engine's been shut off.

 

you domt have to hold it wide open
just open enough to start pump. it only needs to open as far as it would idling. this way you can see and hear a leak with the motor off. just make sure the key is on the on position. and yet it works great. if your upper intake is disconnected i believe a high pressure line is attached to the cold start injector that if removed to remove the top half it will spray everywhere

 

just re read that. not sure but worth a shot. i thought you meant the top of the intake was disconnected. you might have to plug in tps and let it hang off to the side. i'm on't sure if this trick will work with it un plugged

 

look at the?cold start imjector the line can leak and usually does without replacing the washers if removed. since you said you noticed it the strongest from cold to operating temp. sorry for the poor grammar typing on phone that's too small with fingers too big

 

Just jump +B and FP in the check connector (still need ignition on). Easier than messing with the air meter.

 

Pics of rats?

 

i would do sb5 walkers idea alls you need is a paper clip ha ha